[ Linda/NASAQuest
- 64 - 12:23:10 ]
This chat room is provided to support the Design a Martian project. For
more information on the schedule see http://quest.nasa.gov/projects/astrobiology/astroventure/challenge/index.html

[ YourName/LocationBoxoutoforder
- 66 - 12:27:04 ]
Please help us by identifying yourself in the message box (not the Name/Location
box) . Without giving us personal information, we would like to know if
you are in a classroom and the state. Information like: name/teacher/gradelevel/state
would really be appreciated.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 67
- 13:15:40 ]
Questions may be asked in advance - You will not see them, but we will.
They will be placed in the Main Chat Room during the live event - not
before. There is no need to repeat your questions. They will be held in
a queue until Wednesday, October 29, when our experts will be online with
you live.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 68
- 09:26:59 ]
PLEASE identify yourself in the body of your message, so I may include
your questions in the main chat room. I have received several questions
that are NOT related to the challenge described above. Please send unrelated
questions to: kids-ask-nasa@quest.nasa.gov

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 77
- 08:16:23 ]
We have some wonderful questions from NYC Public School 56 Queens! This
5th grade class is really grappling with some of the issues for life on
Mars. Wednesday we will see what help we can get from our NASA scientists.
Stay tuned!

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 85
- 07:53:44 ]I am checking that the chat will take place at this
URL in this format today (10/29). Look forward (tech willing) to participation
with NYC Public School 56 Queens students. Thank you.
We'll look forward to seeing you too!

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 86
- 07:58:02 ]Are you receiving this message? Please let me know
if possible as we are a new school trying to access the webcast this afternoon
and we are not sure if our registration, realplayer software, etc are
working. Thanks so much - email is hwyllie@nc*****
This morning's (in California) event is a web chat not webcast. There
is no other software necessary, as your interaction will occur here in
this chat room in text. I will begin to post questions shortly before
the 10AM Pacific time and our experts will join us and begin to answer
questions then. We look forward to your participation.

Jon_Rask/NASAAmes - 102
- 10:05:02 ]RE: 5th Grade Student David (Mrs. Alperstein's student),
at NYC Public School 56 Queens, would like to know if the Martian is required
to have mobility, and if that mobility has to be somewhat similar biologically
to that of humans.
David - (Mrs. Alperstein's class) mobility does not necessarily have to
be like that of a human. You can think in terms of a large or small creature.

[ GeoffBriggsNASAARC
- 100 - 10:03:16 ]RE: Bukhtawer, (Mrs. Neme Alperstein's student), Grade
5 at NYC Public School 56 Queens, wants to know if the life form can be
bacterial or viral so that it's ability to survive, reproduce, and possibly
mutate can be observed in a Martian atmosphere. Thanks!
Bukhtawer -- Life on Mars (past or present) at the microbial scale is
a lot more plausible than anything more advanced so I think you should
certainly give such life forms consideration. I don't know whether you
could expect atmospheric measurements to tell you about all the aspects
you mention (survival, reproduction, mutation).

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
102 - 10:05:02 ]RE: Veronica (Mrs. Alperstein's student), at NYC Public
School 56 Queens, would like to know if it has to have similar biological
functions to humans (i.e. breathe with lungs, or can it have something
like gills adapted for the Mars atmosphere to extract what it needs to
sustain life).
Remember, if you are creating a creature that is large, you have to consider
the food chaing that would be necessary to support such an organism.

[ GeoffBriggsNASAARC
- 103 - 10:06:41 ]RE: 2. Does Mars have an ozone layer? Jennifer,Darwin,Laura,and
Ian of Mrs. Segerdahl's class
Jennifer and colleagues -- Mars does not have an ozone layer (unlike Earth)
and, as a result, the Sun's UV radiation can reach the surface where most
terrestrial life forms would soon be sterilized.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
107 - 10:11:04 ]RE: Sarah/Mrs. Anderson's: In the 1940's a meteor
from Mars was discovered and had been on earth for almost 10,000 years
scientists studied the meteor and found bacteria that can only grow with
liquid water, they believe from the evidence on the meteor that there
was life on mars but couldn't the bacteria on the meteor had grown from
its time on earth?
I am familiar with one example, ALH84001, a mars meteorite found in 1984
Antarctica. We do know the rock is from Mars, because we can compare it
to what we know about Mars from Landers like Viking and Pathfinder. But
the lines of evidence that suggested fossilized life was found in the
rock are not as compelling as once thought and have been discounted. Yes
it is true that many rocks on Earth have microbes growing inside them.
The search goes on.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
111 - 10:15:44 ]RE: Is there any kind of life on Mars now? Jess Wenonah
School
We do not know if there is life on Mars. Because Mars has a thin atmosphere,
the surface is bathed in UV raditaion which is very harmful to life we
find on Earth. So possibily, if there were life on Mars and it lived on
the surface, it would have to have some kind of UV protection mechanism
(be it structural or molecular) or might live in other places that protected
it, like underground, or in lava tubes. UV damages DNA.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
114 - 10:20:06 ]RE: Through your years of working have you ever seen
any evidence of bacteria on Mars? Bari, Will, Matt, and Lindsay from Mrs.
Segerdahls class
We have no evidence of bacteria on Mars. However, it is quite likely that
bacteria hitched a ride from Earth to Mars inside the spacecraft we sent
to Mars. Also remember, in all the studies of Mars we are looking primarily
at the surface, and have done no extensive studies to look for microbes
in the subsurface.

[ GeoffBriggsNASAARC
- 115 - 10:22:19 ]RE: Jesse - Mrs Laurino's 7th grade If there is liquid
water under the surface of Mars would it move or would it be stagnant?
What would make the water move since there are no plates on Mars?
Jesse -- Most (and perhaps all) of the subsurface water on Mars is expected
to be frozen because the planet is so cold. However, internal heating
means that temperatures increase with depth so that at a few miles down
it is warm enough for brines to exist. If the frozen subsurface is completely
saturated, then any addition water at greater depths would be in liquid
form. Gravity would cause such liquid water to fall to a level where the
rocks no longer have any porosity (crushed by the overlying rocks) --
this is called the "basement". It is expected that there would be a convective
circulation of moisture between the top of this water table and the bottom
of the frozen water. But there may still be dormant volcanism on Mars
so that ice would melt much closer to the surface of Mars and would lead
to subsurface hydrothermal activity. A last point is that the permanent
polar caps (especially the northern one which is known to be mainly made
of water ice) could be so thick (miles) that the ice would melt at its
base. Because of elevation differences, such subsurface water could move
underground toward the equator under the influence of gravity. Summary:
there are various ways in which subsurface liquid water could be mobile.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
120 - 10:25:39 ]RE: Can my martian have a filter in its lungs so it
could breathe what is on Mars
I suppose that one could imagine genetically modifying an organism to
be able to breath martian air, but I do not have the expertise to know
how you would have to modify any parts of the cells to be able to do that.
But you raise an interesting idea. Could any of the extremeophiles found
on Earth survive on Mars? Or could you combine the characteristics of
several extremeophiles to create a microbe / creature that could survive
the hostile conditions of Mars. A neat fact I learned in a workshop I
recently attended was that some of the life on Earth eats rocks, breaths
rocks, and makes rocks! That is, microbial life.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
123 - 10:28:20 ]RE: Jesse - Mrs. Laurino's 7th grade I would like
to know if i have to create a new life form, or can I use one that exists
on Earth?
You may create a new one, or find a creature from Earth that could possibly
survive the conditions. Decide if you want your creature to live on the
surface or inside the planet, in the subsurface, and that will help you
decide.

[ GeoffBriggsNASAARC
- 127 - 10:32:42 ]RE: Iam Tenzing and im in Mrs.Holidays class and our
question is what is the chemical make up of the soil on mars and what
builds it up?
The soil on Mars (called "regolith") was scooped up and its chemical composition
was measured by the Viking landers. It is rather like ground up basaltic
rocks not unlike that found on the slopes of the Hawaiian volcanoes. So,
there are mainly mixtures of iron silicates, magnesium silicates, and
aluminum silicates. (A silicate is a combination of silicon and oxygen
-- like sand). Viking also measured the presence of a little calcium,
titanium, sulphur (all presumably as oxides) and chlorine . The soil is
the result of erosional forces working on the martian landscape -- wind
and landslides today and fluvial activity in the past. Also, acidic gases
emitted by volcanoes have caused weathering of the regolith.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
128 - 10:33:02 ]RE: As the class teacher, I was wondering if the Martian
the students design also has to have some form of communication skills.
That came up in discussion. (That might indicate the existence of a colony
of like Martians with a social structure similar to ants, bees, and even
people.)
Interesting idea - I had not thought of that. Perhaps that may be useful
to the organisms if they are large enough to communicate (like ants),
so they can tell one another where water might be, or where a food source
is. But this brings up an important point to think about: If you are creating
large creatures (even ant sized), you have to consider that there must
be a whole ecosystem to support such organisms, which should be something
you address if you do so. Good idea.

[ GeoffBriggsNASAARC
- 132 - 10:42:48 ]RE: Hi my name is Haley in Mrs.Anderson 7th and 8th
grade class. These are some of my questions I have for you. How did you
reach your conclusions that their was water on Mars and also could we
have a chance of living on Mars? Is there any proof of life on Mars?
Haley -- the martian landscape as photographed from orbit shows all sorts
of features that we recognize as being similar to features created on
Earth by fluvial activity -- remnants of vast floods, channels, glacial
features, gullies, lake beds etc. Also there is a permanent north polar
cap that is made of water ice. Today there is no proof of life on Mars
and this search is the focus of NASA's Mars exploration program. We would
not be able to live on Mars without a lot of supporting equipment to allow
us to live in pressurized habitats and to feed ourselves. We could, in
principle and probably in practice, extract the water we need from the
martian environment and we could grow some food in special greenhouses.
We would need an energy supply to support astronauts -- maybe a reactor
since the Sun's radiation is less on Mars than on Earth.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
133 - 10:43:09 ]RE: HI MY NAME IS GREG AND I AM FROM THE NEW AIR AND
SPACE ACADEMY IN CALIFORNIA I AM SORRY MY GRAMMAR IS WRONG MY COMPUTER
IS GOING CRAZY ON ME I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF A PLANT CAN SURVIVE ON MARS?
This is an intersting question. We think that all the elements needed
for plant biology are in Martian regolith. In fact, there have been studies
in the past done here at Ames that showed plants can live in a simulated
Mars regolith. (We know the composition of the regolith from Viking -
see Geoff's reponse to the soil question) the big problem the plant must
over come is the sterilizing UV radiation and lack of water. So, be thinking
that the plant would have to resist radiation, lack of water, and be able
to survive in very, very cold conditions.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
137 - 10:47:30 ]RE: shon mrs. holiday's class Is it possible that
an alien could be frozen in the ice caps on mars?
Very interesting. We know that here on Earth (in siberia) there are places
researchers dig into permafrost and find microbes that are a few million
years old and culture them! So it may be possible, but we just don't know.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
138 - 10:48:59 ]RE: What is the average tempature on mars?
about minus 60 degrees C. But remember, there are some warmer places and
some colder places.

[ GeoffBriggsNASAARC
- 141 - 10:51:38 ]RE: I am concerned about dust storms on Mars and the
ability of my Martian not to be blown away. What weight or gravitational
pull would it need to withstand such a storm? If my Martian were bacterial,
what are some of the dangers in the atmosphere it needs to protect itself
against in order to survive?
Regarding dust storms, the martian atmosphere is so thin that only the
finest dust particles get lifted into the atmosphere. Sand-sized particles
can "saltate" across the surface and as a result we see enormous dunes
all over Mars in craters and in other lowland sites. An unprotected microbial
entity on the martian surface would be small enough to get blown around
the planet. On Earth there are colonies of microbes that live just below
the surfaces of rocks -- in such a case even the strongest martian winds
would not have much effect.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 142
- 10:51:45 ]RE: Hi this is Haley from Mrs.Anderson's 7th and 8th
grade classroom I was wondering if you recieved my questions.i am not
being rude or any thing but could you answer my queastions please. I have
to leave in a little bit and i really want to know what those answers
are to those queastions. thank you very much i appreciate it!
Hi Haley, Check out Message #132!

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
143 - 10:53:47 ]RE: Can the Martian have replaceable body parts so
as to be able to be repaired? Can it have regenerative properties? Can
we use technology developed for the space shuttle (the tiles that keep
out the heat and UV?)
I suppose that may be possible but perhaps a better approach would be
to incorporated radiation resistance, like the microbe Deinococcus radiodurans
does.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 145
- 10:56:01 ]
Our Scientists are answering your questions as quickly as possible! We
have just about 3 minutes left during this chat. If at all possible, we
will try to post answers to some of the questions remaining later on this
week. Thanks for your great questions.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
146 - 10:56:33 ]RE: Celeste/Mrs. Anderson's What made you decide to
work with NASA? What do you like most about your job? What is the hardest
thing about your job?
I've always had a passion to work for NASA, even as a child. Working with
other highly motivated people is a pleasure, and its fun to know that
you and others are learning more about our place in the cosmos. Sometimes
labwork is very demanding, and paperwork piles up.

[ GeoffBriggsNASAARC
- 147 - 10:57:11 ]RE: Celeste/Mrs. Anderson's What made you decide to
work with NASA? What do you like most about your job? What is the hardest
thing about your job?
Celeste -- I started to work in the Space program before we had even reached
the Moon. The exploration of our solar system was (and still is) one of
the most exciting taks that I could imagine. Getting involved in the exploration
projects is the greatest fun since that is where the discoveries are made.
Participating in the development of new technologies is also very satisfying.
The greatest satisfaction is working with some brilliant colleagues.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 148
- 10:57:52 ]
We are typically answering questions that are representative of many questions.
Please do not fill the moderation room with requests that are not questions
for our experts. We will do what we can to answer as many questions as
possible - without any begging, I promise.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
149 - 10:59:47 ]RE: Mrs. Taylor's class (7/8th grades)May,Texas: Will
you be looking on Mars for the type of bacteria that eats iron and makes
water rust-colored and makes sulfuric acid? We thought that was neat on
the video about Spain.
It isn't decided what kind of microbe to look for, we're just trying to
understand simply how to find life if its there. Its a tough problem,
but we would want to find it if it were there. If we design our instruments
to find only one type, we might be missing others, so we have to have
a tool that sees them all, if they are there. We don't have that tool
yet.

[ GeoffBriggsNASAARC
- 153 - 11:02:58 ]RE: Can the Martian have replaceable body parts so
as to be able to be repaired? Can it have regenerative properties? Can
we use technology developed for the space shuttle (the tiles that keep
out the heat and UV?)
Regarding replaceable body parts, why not? However, the first challenge
is simply to design body parts that are functional.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 155
- 11:04:56 ]
I want to thank Jon Rask and Geoff Briggs for joining us today. We thank
our classrooms also for their well thought out questions. This has been
very informative, and if possible we will continue to post more answers
in the next couple of days. If you didn't see your question posted, make
sure you read the other questions answered - your answer may appear linked
to someone else's question.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
157 - 11:08:39 ]
Hi everyone: Thanks for your questions. I can try to answer a few more
that are biology-related. When you are designing your critter (microbial
or bigger) first consider the conditions that it must survive in, and
then begin to incorporate traits into the creature that allow it to survive
in those conditions

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
160 - 11:10:55 ]RE: Does Mars' core provide lasting heat?
Yes - there is residual heat inside the planet that may be critical to
a warm subsurface environment that is deep in the planet. This could be
a place where water would be liquid. Radioactive decay of elements provide
much of the heat.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
162 - 11:12:38 ]
RE: Have scientists found any sources of fuel or energy on Mars?
We know there are near surface reservoirs of water ice in many locations.

[ GeoffBriggsNASAARC
- 167 - 11:13:14 ]RE: Could you explain the weather paterns on Mars?
Thank you.-Danielle, Ariella, Morgan, Steven and Nick From Mrs. Segerdahl's
and Mrs. Horowitz's classes
Danielle and friends -- the weather on Mars is like a much simplified
version of the Earth's weather with the atmosphere serving to take the
Sun's heat from one part of the planet to another through convection (Hadley
cells) and by continental scale eddies. The biggest difference between
Earth and Mars is the lack of oceans on Mars -- these have a profound
influence on the Earth's atmospheric circulation. Another big difference
is the fact that the martian atmosphere (carbon dioxide) condenses onto
the planet's surface during the autumn and winter to be released in spring
and summer; this leads to a massive atmospheric pressure cycle with the
seasons.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
168 - 11:14:02 ]RE: Can Mars' land be cultivated to support human
life, if so how?
Ah. Mars farming. I know there is a need to do research for bio-regenerative
life support for humans if they go there. Supposedly planst could grow,
but one must overcome UV radiation and lack of water. There should be
enough CO2.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
170 - 11:16:18 ]RE: Joel at NYC Public School 56 Queens, has nanotechology
in mind for functions. Can the Martian make use of that technology for
temperature adaptations, body functions (programming?), etc.
if you are building a robot, then there are many possibilities in terms
of technology. Biology on the other hand has a great deal of limitations.
If you are considering a hybrid of biology and technology, then probably.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
171 - 11:17:23 ]RE: Does our Martian need to be able to communicate
with humans and must it be able to travel and survive both on Earth and
on Mars?
Communication with Humans and or Earth is not necessary. it can be an
indigenous Mars lifeform.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
173 - 11:18:31 ]RE: Are our Martians allowed to contain fluids or
substances that help it find energy (for instance: chlorophyl helps photosynthesis
for plants. Maybe the Martian could have something help digest food or
make energy.)
a critter that is photosynthetic and mobile to find water sources is an
interesting idea. (can be tiny too)

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
177 - 11:19:26 ]RE: Do we need to include details of how our Martian's
body system works? (We could do that in a diagram, but do we need to write
up details of its systems?) Will the interior system of the Martian have
to be shown when we design it (like a transparent creature)?
I would ask Linda this.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
178 - 11:22:02 ]RE: Are there any caves on Mars? Elizabeth/CA
Presumably. There are places where there have been massive collapse of
the surface because of subsurface water erosion during catastrophic outflows
of liquid water long ago in Mars' past. Also, there are probably lava
tubes, or channels that lava flows in underneath and in old, hardened
lava flows. I crawled in on in Arizona in the SF Peaks area. Definitely
shielded from the surface - now the problem is getting water there.
Note: we don't see eruptions on Mars now though. All the volcanos on Mars
are thought to be extinct or recently extinct. But we know some of the
volcanoes are pretty young like in Elysium, maybe only a few million years
old.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 179
- 11:22:43 ]RE: Do we need to include details of how our Martian's
body system works? (We could do that in a diagram, but do we need to write
up details of its systems?) Will the interior system of the Martian have
to be shown when we design it (like a transparent creature)?
As in designing anything, it's always important to include as many details
as possible so that others may understand how it works. You can find potential
problems or places that need improvement by including specific details.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
181 - 11:25:23 ]RE: Angela/Mrs. Anderson's 7th and 8th: Was there
at one time, life on Mars? Have you found any proof of life on Mars, other
than is documented in your research?
No evidence of Life has been found on Mars.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
182 - 11:25:52 ]RE: Does my Martian have to have to be a certain size?
Does it have to be able to move around? Does it have to have a certain
number of body parts? What type of life form does it have to be(bacteria)?
Small is probably best, unless you have a great idea.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes -
183 - 11:27:02 ]RE: Can our Martian have limitations (like humans)
connected to how survives on the planet? Does it need problem solving
skills to cope with problems it might encounter?
Intelligence is not a requirment. Microbes might be the best bet, and
they are not considered intelligent.

[ Jon_Rask/NASAAmes
- 185 - 11:29:40 ]RE: Can our Martian have limitations (like humans)
connected to how survives on the planet? Does it need problem solving
skills to cope with problems it might encounter?
There are some kinds of microbes and other organisms that will go into
a dormancy, or form a cyst-like layer protecting them from a dry environment,
for example, to wait until the right conditions come to being its life
cycle again.

Mrs. Anderson from NEBRASKA: THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING
OUR QUESTIONS. WE FOUND THIS VALUABLE TO OUR RESEARCH.

We thank u

Good Bye and have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

5th grade Wenonah School - This is really
exciting. We have never done this before. Thanks for your help.

[ Linda/NASAQuest - 179
- 11:22:43 ]RE: Will a transcript of these messages remain online
for us to print out? There are some very useful answers to our project
development. Thank you very much.
This archive should be useful for those purposes. We had over 400 questions
received for this chat. Our experts did their best to answer as many of
them as possible, and they have offered to try to find the time to address
some of the questions we didn't have time to get to. I will let our registered
classrooms know when these have been added.